Updates from the AI Hub – April 2026

Recent Events

AI Hub Launch Event

How can we navigate the benefits and risks of AI in social protection?  This was the central question during the launch event of the AI Hub for Social Protection in December 2025.  

The webinar brought together policymakers and experts in digital social protection and technology from government agencies, civil society, and international organisations to explore what responsible, innovative, and sovereign AI adoption in social protection entails. An expert panel also shared insights from initial knowledge products and reports based on in-country AI implementations. What are the takeaways from the launch event? Read our reflections about the event here.  

Use-Case Scoping Workshop

The AI Help Desk is currently working with the Moroccan National Agency for Social Support (ANSS) team to design AI solutions that strengthen social assistance delivery (cash-transfer). This partnership is highly promising and highlights the potential of the AI Hub in delivering solutions to country cases. You can read more about the AI Hub Help Desk here or send us an email at contact@spdci.org. 

As part of the country support journey,  the AI Hub, together with partners, convened in Berlin in March 2026 for a hands-on AI Use Case Scoping workshop delivered by Merantix, a European AI company. Held in a hybrid format, the workshop brought together practitioners working at the intersection of digital transformation and social protection.  The workshop focused on applying the AI Canvas methodology, focusing on the Moroccan use-case. Moving from value proposition to organization to operational implications, the workshop offered an interesting approach to conduct evaluations for AI adoption. More information on this event will soon be published on the DCI website.

Upcoming Events

AI Clinic Series

Join us on April 14, 2026 at 15:00 CEST for the first session of the AI Hub Clinic Series 2026. The first clinic kicks off with a critical question: are institutions truly ready to use AI in social protection? Starting with AI readiness, this 6-part interactive clinic series explores the essential foundations that must be in place before adopting AI responsibly and effectively. Through peer exchange between institutions, participants will gain honest insights into both successes and failures, including what happens when readiness is overlooked. Designed as a practical learning space, the session helps participants identify gaps, recognise early warning signs, and take the first structured steps on their AI journey with a clear, risk-aware approach. Register here.

Upcoming Trainings

Smart Social Protection Systems for the Age of AI

We are pleased to offer a new training on smart social protection systems for the age of AI, designed for government officials, policymakers, and social protection professionals and focusing on the fundamentals of digital governance for social protection.

This training, developed by the AI Hub in collaboration with the International Training Centre of the ILO (ITCLO) and the International Social Security Association (ISSA), aims to equip participants with the skills to responsibly harness AI and other emerging technologies. It will take place in-person from June 22-26, 2026, at the ITCILO in Turin, Italy and will consist of an online phase from June 1-19, 2026, prior to the in-person sessions.

Find out more about the training and how to register for it here.

Blogs

AI in Social Protection: Harnessing Potential, Preventing Harm

This blog discusses how AI offers significant opportunities to make social protection systems more efficient, responsive, and inclusive. However, it also emphasises the serious risks it poses, especially to vulnerable populations, if poorly designed or governed. Drawing from real-world challenges, the blog argues the use of AI in social protection needs a higher bar and how the AI Hub provides a trusted resource and collaborative platform supporting country-led, responsible, and context-aware adoption of AI. Read here. 

Opening Up the Conversation: Reflections from the AI Hub’s Official Launch

Reflections from the AI Hub launch event mentioned above. Read it here.

Publications

AI Applications in Social Security: Building Evidence and Insights from the TechByte 

This publication, written in collaboration with the International Social Security Association (ISSA), is the first mapping of how social security institutions around the world are using AI to improve service delivery, efficiency, and oversight. Drawing on 37 use cases from 28 institutions across 21 countries, the report shows that AI is already supporting a wide range of functions — from chatbots and virtual assistants to machine learning models for fraud detection, case prioritisation and fairness evaluation. Read here. 

AI Taxonomy  

The AI Hub has been working on a taxonomy to bring clarity and consistency to how we talk about AI in social protection. The framework distinguishes between what AI technically does (from prediction and classification to generative tasks) and how it maps to the core functions social protection institutions actually care about: case management, user communication, targeting and eligibility, fraud detection, and more. It also captures critical dimensions like decision criticality, human oversight requirements, and data sources. The taxonomy will underpin an AI use-case tracker, giving the sector a shared language and a growing evidence base to learn from.  More details coming soon.   

Stay tuned for more events, blogs, and publications!  

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